Valve apparatus



April 18, 1967 H. F. HADLEY VALVE APPARATUS Filed Nov. 21, 1963 20 INVENTOR.

HAROLD F. HADLEY affor'neq United States Patent 3,314,600 VALVE APPARATUS Harold F. Hadley, Toledo, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Frank M. Cobourn, T0ledo,'0hi0 Filed Nov. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 325,306 3 Claims. (Cl. 230-172) improved valve apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel thin combination intake and check valve apparatus, leaving very little space between the top of the piston and bottom of the cylinder head, thereby greatly increasing the efliciency of any fluid pump by exhausting nearly all of the fluid at the end of each compression stroke.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve apparatus which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and provides simplicity for parts replacement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination intake and check valve apparatus which may accommodate a large number of applications and retain its simplicity of operation and inexpensive construction for each application.

A combination intake and check valve apparatus embodying the features of this invention comprises a plate member, a compression head member, and a valve member or plate of flexible material disposed intermediate the plate and head members. The valve member has at least two apertures formed therein and has flapper means extending across each aperture. The flapper means may be formed integral with the valve member. The first of the flapper means is positioned flush with a first surface of the valve member. The second of the flapper means is positioned flush with a second surface of the valve member. The head and plate members each have inlet and exhaust ports formed therein. The first flapper means registers flush with and covers the inlet port of the head member. The second flapper means registers flush with and covers the exhaust port of the plate member. Channel means are formed in one of the valve and head members to provide communication between an exhaust port of the plate and head members via the second flapper means.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparentwhen the following description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the compression head member utilized in this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the valve member utilized in this invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a plate member utilized in this invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side elevational view of the assembly utilized in this invention;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the elements shown in FIGS. 1 through 3' in assembled position;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines A-A of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines BB of FIG. 5.

3,3 14,600 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 Referring now to the drawings there is shown the compression head member 10 which comprises an end wall 12 and cylindrical side walls 11 extending rearwardly from the end wall 12. Inlet ports 13 are formed in the end wall 12 and an exhaust port 14 is also formed in the end wall 12.

Referring to FIG. 2 there is shown a front view of valve member 20 which may be formed of a flexible material such as molded rubber or plastic. Valve member 20 has a first set of apertures 21 formed therein and a first set of flapper means 22 extending across the first set of apertures. As shown in the present embodiment all flapper means are formed integral with the valve member. The first set of flapper means 22 are formed flush with a first side or surface of the valve member 20. Valve member 20 has a second set of apertures 23 formed therein and a second set of flapper means 24 extending across the second set of apertures 23. The second set of flapper means 24 are formed flush with a second surface or side of valve member 20.

Referring to FIG. 3 there is shown a plate member 30 having inlet ports 31 and exhaust ports 32 formed therein. It will be noted that one or more male locating stud means 36 may be formed on plate member 30 to register with female locating aperture means 26 formed in or through valve member 20. The positions of the male and female members may, of course, be reversed with respect to the valve andplate members 20 and 30. The location means 26 and 36 function to maintain the relative position of the valve and plate members to ensure registration of the flapper and port means. Although not shown, similar location means may be employed to maintain proper registration of flapper means and ports of the valve and head members 10 and 20, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 4 there is shown in addition to the slidably receive a piston 50.

In FIG. 5 the components shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 are shown in an assembled position from a rear view. Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 it will be seen that the compression head member 10 receives the plate member 30 with the valve member 20 disposed intermediate the plate member 30 and the end Wall 12 of the head member 10. The cylinder 40 is then inserted within the side Walls 11 of the compression head member 10 and functions to hold the valve member 20 and plate member 30 in position against the end wall 12 of compression head 10, as well as functioning to receive slidably the piston 50. The cylinder 40 may be secured against movement within the side walls 11 of head 10 by any of several well known means.

Summarizing the assembly, the valve member 20' is placed against the inside of the compression head 10 so that the two flappers 22 lie flat against and cover the inlet ports 13 in the compression head end wall 12. Against this is placed the plate member 30 so that the two exhaust flappers 24 of the valve member 20 lie flat against and cover the exhaust ports 32 formed in the plate member 30. The two inlet ports 31 formed in plate member 30 are positioned to register with and clear for movement therethrough the inlet flappers 22 of the valve member 20.

In operation when the piston 50 is on the intake stroke (as best seen in FIG. 6), the inlet flappers 22 rise off the inlet ports 13 formed in the compression head 10 and allow air to flow into cylinder 40 as shown by the arrows. The exhaust flappers 24 seal against the forward side of exhaust ports 32 formed in the plate member 30 and prevent air flow back through the exhaust port 14.

On the pressure stroke of the piston. 50, the inlet flappers 22 seal against the rear side of the inlet ports 13 formed in the compression head 10 preventing air loss through ports 13. The exhaust flappers 24 are opened (best seen in FIG. 7) by the air pressure from the piston movement and air flows through exhaust ports 32 and through the exhaust channel or passage 25 formed in the valve member 20 and out through the exhaust port 14 formed in the compression head 10, as noted by the arrows.

It will be noted in the embodiment shown that the intake valve flappers 22 have unrestricted travel in toward the piston so that the cylinder may be quickly filled with air or other fluids. However, the exhaust valve flappers 24 have restricted opening by coming in contact with the inside of compression head end wall 12. The relative operation of the fiappers may be reversed if required. However, if, for example, the check valve apparatus is being used in a hand pump assembly for operating marine air horns it is desirable that air be brought into the cylinder 40 as quickly as possible. However, when the iston 40 reverses its travel and compresses the air to supply compressed air to the marine horns out through exhaust port 14 then it may be desirable that the velocity of the compressed air be held to a predetermined amount to operate the air horns correctly. It should further be noted that while the valve apparatus described herein may be utilized in many other applications it has been described as utilized with marine air horns to point up the desirability of the check valve assembly.

In conclusion, it is pointed out that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the exact details shown, since modification of the same may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. Pump apparatus having combination intake and check valve means comprising a cylinder having a head formed at one end thereof; a piston disposed in said cylinder; said head having inlet and exhaust port means formed therein; a flat valve member disposed against said head and having inlet and exhaust apertures formed therein; said valve member having flexible inlet flapper means in said inlet aperture means registering with and disposed to cover said inlet port means formed in said head; and a flat plate member arranged against the side of said valve member opposite said head; said plate member having inlet aperture and exhaust aperture means formed therein; said inlet aperture means of said plate member registering with and allowing passage therethrough of said inlet flapper means; said valve member having flexible exhaust flapper means in said exhaust aperture means registering with and disposed to cover said exhaust port means formed in said plate member; said exhaust flapper means being formed to have a thickness less than that of said flat valve member allowing limited travel of said flapper means within said exhaust aperture means before abutting against said head; said exhaust port means of said head communicating with said exhaust aperture means formed in said valve member.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said head has only one exhaust port formed therein and said valve member has two exhaust apertures formed therein, one of said valve member and said head having an exhaust channel formed therein providing communication between said exhaust apertures and said exhaust port in said head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,537,241 l/1951 Smith 1375l2.15 X 2,809,589 10/1957 Randolph l37525 X 2,856,955 10/1958 Winkelrnan 137512 3,005,523 10/1961 May 137-5253 X 3,104,617 9/1963 Barr 137-5l2.4 X

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD WEAKLEY. Examiner. 

1. PUMP APPARATUS HAVING COMBINATION INTAKE AND CHECK VALVE MEANS COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING A HEAD FORMED AT ONE END THEREOF; A PISTON DISPOSED IN SAID CYLINDER; SAID HEAD HAVING INLET AND EXHAUST PORT MEANS FORMED THEREIN; A FLAT VALVE MEMBER DISPOSED AGAINST SAID HEAD AND HAVING INLET AND EXHAUST APERTURES FORMED THEREIN; SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING FLEXIBLE INLET FLAPPER MEANS IN SAID INLET APERTURE MEANS REGISTERING WITH AND DISPOSED TO COVER SAID INLET PORT MEANS FORMED IN SAID HEAD; AND A FLAT PLATE MEMBER ARRANGED AGAINST THE SIDE OF SAID VALVE MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID HEAD; SAID PLATE MEMBER HAVING INLET APERTURE AND EXHAUST APERTURE MEANS FORMED THEREIN; SAID INLET APERTURE MEANS OF SAID PLATE MEMBER REGISTERING WITH AND ALLOWING PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF SAID INLET FLAPPER MEANS; SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING FLEXIBLE EXHAUST FLAPPER MEANS IN SAID EXHAUST APERTURE MEANS REGISTERING WITH AND DISPOSED TO COVER SAID EXHAUST PORT MEANS FORMED IN SAID PLATE MEMBER; SAID EXHAUST FLAPPER MEANS BEING FORMED TO HAVE A THICKNESS LESS THAN THAT OF SAID FLAT VALVE MEMBER ALLOWING LIMITED TRAVEL OF SAID FLAPPER MEANS WITHIN SAID EXHAUST APERTURE MEANS BEFORE ABUTTING AGAINST SAID HEAD; SAID EXHAUST PORT MEANS OF SAID HEAD COMMUNICATING WITH SAID EXHAUST APERTURE MEANS FORMED IN SAID VALVE MEMBER. 